# Sunday in Liébana: the Fuente Dé cable car, cocido in Potes and Santo Toribio

You take the Fuente Dé cable car up to 1,823 metres and walk towards Áliva, eat Liébana cocido in Potes and finish at Santo Toribio. An hour and three quarters from Santander.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/liebana-and-potes/itineraries/fuente-de-cable-car-and-santo-toribio · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 07:45 · Salida: 1 h 45 by car (A-8 to Unquera and N-621 through the La Hermida gorge)
- 09:45 · Fuente Dé Cable Car (€20–30 return; buy online the day before)
  - 45 min on foot
- 10:15 · Walk Down Through the Áliva Pastures (there and back towards the Áliva refuge hotel, under 2 h)
  - 30 min by car, 25 km
- 14:00 · Casa Cayo Restaurant (cocido lebaniego · €€ · booking) · Casa Cayo Restaurant, €€
  - 8 min by car, 3 km
- 16:30 · Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana and the Lignum Crucis (church and cloister 16:00 to 19:00; on Sundays the Lignum Crucis cannot be seen)
  - 8 min by car, 3 km
- 17:30 · Walk Round Potes, Between the Deva and the Quiviesa (walk between the Quiviesa bridges)
- 18:30 · Vuelta (in Santander around 20:15)

The Fuente Dé cable car is closed for works from 16 November: check on its website that it has reopened before you go.

Liébana is a long Sunday from Santander, but it fits: you set off early, take the Fuente Dé cable car mid-morning, walk a couple of hours through the Áliva meadows, go down to Potes for cocido and finish at the monastery of Santo Toribio.

## The day, hour by hour

7:45 · Set off. A-8 towards Asturias to Unquera and the N-621 through the La Hermida gorge to Potes; then the Fuente Dé road to the end. About two hours.

9:45 · Fuente Dé cable car. In four minutes you go from 1,070 to 1,823 metres. Return trip, €20 in low season and €30 in high; children aged 4 to 12, €8 or €15. Buy online the day before: the ticket has a 30-minute window for going up.

10:15 · Walk towards Áliva. From El Cable, a track climbs to the Horcadina de Covarrobles and descends through meadows towards the Áliva refuge hotel. There and back, under two hours. Go down by cable car.

14:00 · Lunch at Casa Cayo. In the centre of Potes: Liébana cocido and roast lamb, for under €35. Book.

16:30 · Santo Toribio. The monastery of the Lignum Crucis, 3 km from Potes. On Sundays the relic chapel does not open; the church and cloister, from 16:00 to 18:00.

17:30 · Potes. A stroll between the Quiviesa bridges before heading back.

18:30 · Head home. Through the gorge, in Santander around a quarter past eight.

## Cómo llegar

### By car
A-8 and N-621 from Santander, an hour and three quarters to Potes. From Oviedo, A-8 to Panes and N-621, a little over two hours.

## Consejos

### Check the webcam and the wind
The cable car closes in strong wind and does not refund the ticket for fog.

### If you go in high season, go up on the first run
The afternoon queues are long.

## Cuándo no ir

The cable car from 16 November 2026: it is closed for works for a few weeks. Swap the morning for the thermal cave at La Hermida.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How much does the Fuente Dé cable car cost?
€20 return in low season and €30 in high season for adults.

### Can you see the Lignum Crucis on Sunday?
No; the chapel opens Monday to Saturday.

### Is it worth it in a day from Santander?
Yes, if you leave early. It is about four hours of driving in total.